We Made It!!

I went this weekend and ran the Ragnar Wasatch back relay with this awesome group of people. We had a blast, it was definitely challenging, but I have to say we rocked it! We ran from Logan to Park City in 30 hours, 53 minutes and 46 seconds. Which was nothing compared to the BYU team that finished in 17 hours averaging a 5:15 min/mile, but we were still 6 or 7 hours ahead of other teams. This race was seriously a blast. Being stuck in a car with 4 sweaty boys for 30 hours, sleeping, eating and just existing in the van was quite the experience. And there were some definite lows and highs. Our car broke down, and we almost missed dropping Jason off at his exchange because we were flagging down a car to give us a jump start. We also lost Josh for a bit when he took a 2 1/2 mile detour in the wrong direction. Maria got stung by four bees, and it was so hot they measured the heat coming off the pavement at 128 degrees. But everyone showed so much heart and we finished!
Even though I was seriously trying to think of a way to get out of the race, and really didn't want to go, I'm so glad I ended up doing it, and am definitely in for next year! Now I just have to get training for the next race... St. George Marathon here I come!

Wasatch Back

Sometimes I do dumb things. Like signing up to run a 178 mile relay. I want to be a runner, but I don't know that I actually am a runner. I started out training and eating right. Running hills and everything. And then life got crazy. Somehow adding just one more person to your life seems to throw everything off track. I had this amazing schedule that I was keeping, and now it's all late nights and eating like crap, waking up too late to go to the gym, it's ridiculous. And I'm going to pay dearly for it. Somehow the four months I had to train for this run turned into four days, so hopefully I don't die, because really I'm liking what is going on in my life right now.

I hate oatmeal

Anyone that knows me remotely well, knows that I am a texture freak. I can't eat anything with strange textures. Specifically the slightly gooey/chunky texture. You know what I mean where it kind of feels like it's already been slightly chewed. For example tapioca pudding, or cottage cheese. Or for anyone that has ever tried Polenta, you know what I'm talking about. Well about a month ago I decided that even though I have spent my whole life avoiding oatmeal, I was going to start eating it. I figured that the benefits of oatmeal outweighed, the whole nasty texture thing. So I bought my first box of instant oatmeal, quaker oatmeal, cinnammon roll flavored. Sounds tasty, right? Well it's not the taste that makes me hate it, I don't know what to do with it when it is in my mouth... I made my first bowl and I didn't know if i should chew or just swallow, or what. I tried chewing, it made me gag, and so I just kind of let it sit in my mouth. Then I started just swallowing it, but that didn't seem right either, so I gave up after about half the bowl. The next day I consulted a few oatmeal eaters on the proper way to eat the stuff, I got a few suggestions like to not cook it as long as the package says, and to add raisins or something chewy so you have to chew. Melissa even ate a bowl to evaluate her method and came up with a squish/chew conclusion. Gross. So this last Saturday I tried yet again to eat oatmeal, I tried adding things, I tried squishing, I tried everything I had been told, but still the gag reflex was stronger. I can't do it. I reported to my parents the sad fact that I would never be an oatmeal eater, and my mom started cracking up. She couldn't believe I was so upset about not liking it. I explained to her all of the benefits of oatmeal. It helps with cholesterol, it is low in fat, filling, may reduce the risk of heart disease, etc. And she told me that it was a lost cause, even as a baby when they would try to add oatmeal to my bottles, it would make me gag. So there you go, I guess it's just in my genes, I'm not destined to be an oatmeal eater.